1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of plumbing hardware, and in particular to a bracket for supporting plumbing pipes between building members.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plumbing support brackets of the type used to locate and support plumbing pipes in a bay between building members are well known in the art. These brackets are especially useful in locating stub-outs for faucets, showerheads, and the like between wall studs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,451 to Hubbard discloses a simple bracket having pipe receiving openings spaced along its entire length. The bracket is attachable to the outer edges of adjacent studs by inserting fasteners such as nails or screws through fastener openings located intermediate the pipe receiving openings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,461 to Collins describes an improved bracket having pipe receiving notches in addition to the pipe receiving holes. The notches have flanges around their bases which allow the pipes to be snapped into position and then soldered in place. The bracket includes a mounting tab at each end. The bracket is attachable to the studs by a pair of locating tabs which are formed on each mounting tab and can be hammered into the outer edges of adjacent studs. The mounting tabs are not adapted to be bent so that the bracket can be attached to adjacent stud faces between the studs. The center portion of the bracket between the mounting tabs is stiffened by a flange along its lower edge.
In order to allow plumbing pipes to be soldered to the brackets, prior art plumbing brackets have been coated with copper oxide after fabrication, a process which produces a very thin layer of copper which can easily burn off during soldering, thereby exposing the steel and creating the potential for galvanic action with the pipes, which can cause leaks.